Babylon (David Gray song)

"Babylon"
Single by David Gray
from the album White Ladder
B-side
  • "Lead Me Upstairs" (live)
  • "New Horizons" (live)
Released12 July 1999 (1999-07-12)
Length
  • 4:25 (album version)
  • 3:40 (single version)
Label
Songwriter(s)David Gray
Producer(s)
  • David Gray
  • Iestyn Polson
  • Craig McClune
David Gray singles chronology
"This Year's Love"
(1999) 		"Babylon"
(1999) 		"Please Forgive Me"
(1999)
David Gray singles chronology
"Please Forgive Me"
(1999) 		"Babylon"
(2000) 		"Please Forgive Me"
(2001)

"Babylon" is a song by British singer-songwriter David Gray. Originally released on 12 July 1999 as the second single from his fourth album, White Ladder (1998), it was re-released as the album's fourth single on 19 June 2000. Described as Gray's signature song,[1][2] "Babylon" is "about a love that is lost and found again".[3]

"Babylon" peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart in June 2000 and received a platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in January 2021. The single also charted in the United States, peaking at number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Triple-A chart. In February 2021, for the 25th anniversary of the latter chart, Billboard ranked the song at number 6 on its list of the 100 most successful songs in the chart's history.[4][5]

A remix titled "Babylon II" appears exclusively on the US version of the album.[6] The single's B-side, "Over My Head", also appears on the Japanese pressing of the album as a bonus track.[7] Remixes by Flightcrank were commissioned in 2000, appearing on several promotional releases.[citation needed]

  1. ^ Papadatos, Markos (5 June 2019). "Review: David Gray puts on high-octane show at Beacon Theatre in New York (Includes first-hand account)". www.digitaljournal.com.
  2. ^ Doyle, Pip (19 July 2022). "'It Really Is Like Time Travel': David Gray On The 20th Anniversary Of White Ladder". 96fm.com.
  3. ^ Berezow, Alex (14 January 2023). "5 great (and underrated) songs about cities". BigThink.com.
  4. ^ Rutherford, Kevin (18 February 2021). "Dave Matthews Band & The Wallflowers' 'One Headlight' Top Greatest of All Time Adult Alternative Charts". Billboard. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Greatest of All Time Adult Alternative Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  6. ^ White Ladder (US enhanced CD album liner notes). David Gray. RCA Records. 2000. 07863 69351-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^ "David Gray White Ladder Japan Promo CD ALBUM (222673)". Eil.com. 2 August 2002. Retrieved 9 January 2012.